Whistling as survival skill

theonew said:
The easiest way to learn, at least for me when I was young, is to hold the index and middle fingers together on each hand and touch the ends of your middle fingers together at a 60 - 80 degree angle to each other, slide them into your mouth about a half inch deep, using the tips of your fingers to curl the tip and about 3/4 inch of your tongue back so that it presses against the rest of your tongue. Tighten your lips around your fingers and exhale. Give it a try, it takes a little finesse, don't get discouraged.
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No success, yet. I'll keep trying.

Tell me, is your curled back tongue touching the roof of your mouth? Also, I have seen some people perform this kind of whistle without using a hand. What is the purpose/advantage/whatever, of using your hand?
 
Evolute said:
No success, yet. I'll keep trying.

Tell me, is your curled back tongue touching the roof of your mouth? Also, I have seen some people perform this kind of whistle without using a hand. What is the purpose/advantage/whatever, of using your hand?
Click to expand...

The curled back tongue should not be touching the roof of your mouth, but actually the front curled portion of your tongue should almost be pushed down a bit towards your lower jaw.

I found that its easier to learn by using your fingers, but that may just be my experience. Also in my experience the loudest, most piercing whistle is achieved using fingers over just using your mouth.

Don't give up, try lots of minor changes to the configuration you are using.
 
The way I learnt was two fingers from each hand as oneW said, no curl with the tongue and maybe in the shower works better at first. Then go to one finger from each hand, then little finger on each hand, then take one finger out and you will start forming a crease in the middle of your tongue pushed against your lower lip. Take the last finger out and you will hear a faint whistle ... work on it. If I want an extremely loud ear piercing whistle I will stretch my lower lip tight and push my tongue up to my top teeth and lower lip with a small tongue crease in the middle which directs most of the air. I think my front teeth play a little role too. I dont like blowing my own horn but I will say I havent yet heard a louder whistle than mine ... like I was saying earlier, I have to warn others near by and it even hurts my ears.
 
I can whistle with both my lips and teeth loud enough to make people in a rowdy hockey game or concert wince and plug their ears. I don't think I can match a good survival whistle but I can sure try. I would like a whistle in my survival kit, but could make due without one.
 
Here's a Mad Lib on Whistle Survival:

I found that gals that can whistle (verb) better (Noun)
Something about the that tongue curling and blowing and lips does (noun)...
it's all survival in the (noun).
 
I can whistle with fingers (I do it with Index and pinkie finger of one hand, my mom circled her index and thumb), and 3 other ways without fingers. Keep trying to get a vortex in your mouth and it should work eventually- many people just aren't willing to take the time to figure out their mouth cavities.

Question- How many people here know how to make a whistle in the woods??

Whistlewhole.jpg

Whistleside.jpg

Whistlebreakdown.jpg


I learned after watching it on Youtube once. It took me about 5-10 minutes to do it (my first one) and it was late fall, when the wood was dry.
All you do is get an appropriate sized branch (this is poplar). Cut a mouthpiece section out of the bottom, and a notch in the top of the it for the whistle. Cut around the perimeter, just past the bark. Lightly beat the hell out of the stick with another (or your knife, rock.....) to loosen the bark for the heartwood. Carefully detach the bark by sliding it off. Carve a cavity behind the whistle notch, and trim forward of the notch so there is a little airspace so you can blow into it. Carefully slide bark section back on, and blow through. You may have to adjust the bark to make it fit tighter but it will work. Wow- just realized it took twice as long to type it out than it did to make it.

I think this is the most underdiscussed skill on this forum.
 
Excellent little whistle. Is it very loud? I've copied and saved your post and it's on the list of things to do.

Doc
 
It's pretty loud, I have a few ideas/modifications in mind for the next few I want to try out (double chamber...)- brother's girlfriend thinks I am the most knowledgeable person in the woods after watching me make it and she wants some now. Good girl for him- wants to learn outdoors survival and even liked the Tool Logic Survival Knife I got her for Christmas- little does she know that now she will have to use it for everything when we go out. I love making newbies do the work- that is how they learn best.
 
The reason whistles are so great is because they are easy to use and take no effort really. Try this go lay down in the woods or under some rubble, with a broken leg, now with out water or food, stay there for 4 days. Now start yelling for help, scream for your life. You know that there are people looking for you but you have no idea when they are near you. So every waking moment your trying to be heard. See how long it takes to lose your voice or you become too weak to even whisper.

Whistles are not so much for the one time uses. They are for when you cant even talk and need to get help.


CUTS LIKE A KRIS

Wow thats cool thats for showing going to have to try that one!


Ps i can whistle but not with my fingers.
 
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